En Passant - Swale v Hastings - Board One
Thursday 8 November 2018
White: James Wheeler (160) - Black: Keith Nevols (163)
Dutch Defence
As I drove to the club for this game, I felt the car was not quite right. Stopping under a street lamp I saw that I had a flat tyre. Grr! So I drove back home and then walked very fast to the club (just over a mile) to get there in time. Not great preparation. The ill wind was that for once I was able to have a beer with the game.
1. d4 f5
2. Bg5
Against this move, I had learnt a system involving 2. ... h6 3. Bh4 g5 4. e4 Rh7!? but could not remember the theory so I played what I thought would be a safer system.
2. .... Nf6?!
3. Bxf6 exf6
The problem is that I was not sure how to defend the f-pawns.
4. Nd2 d5
5. e3 Bd6
My plan is to play f4 and get rid of the awkward pawn.
6. Qf3!?
Ouch! This was already looking unpleasant.
6. ..... c6
7. Bd3 Qe7?
A bad pawn sacrifice. I was hoping to get some development for the pawn and gain time for a counter attack, but 7. .. g6 is simple enough. I was afraid of 8. c4 opening up the centre and diagonals while my king was far from safety.
8. Bxf5 Bxf5
9. Qxf5 Na6
When the knight ends up out here, you know things are not going well.
10. Nf3 g6
11. Qd3
It is clear here that Black is simply a pawn down so I try to get some counterplay by hitting the queen.
11. .... Nb4
12. Qb3 a5
With the white queen posted on b3, I did not feel comfortable about castling on either side. The engine recommends 12. ... b5 to prevent a White c4 and meeting 13. a4 with 13. . Rb8.
13. a3 a4??
A blunder.
14. Qc3??
White misses 14. axb4. If Black replies 14. .... axb3 then 15. Rxa8+ Kd7 16. Rxh8 bxc2 17. O-O and White has two rooks and a knight for the queen - a decisive lead.
14. .... Na6
OK, we are just about still alive.
15. O-O O-O
16. Qd3
White's sixth queen move out of 16. A recce of the position shows White is a clear pawn up and Black has no compensation for it. Now 16. .. Nc7 is best bringing the piece back from its 'dim rim' into the centre. But instead I go for a kingside counter.
16. .... f5
17. c4 g5
18. g3 g4
19. Nh4 dxc4?
Bringing the knight to the centre and losing another pawn. Black should have played 19. .. Qe6
20. Nxc4 Bc7
21. Nxf5
The game is resignable now, but Black moves on.
21. ... Qf6
22. e4 Rad8
23. Qe2 h5
24. f3! b5
25. Nce3
25. fxg4 is also a way to win. 25. ... bxc4 is simply met by 26. Qxc4+picking up the knight om a6, whereas 25. .. Rxd4
25. .... Bb6
Hoping to make something of the diagonal towards the king.
26. fxg4 Bxd4
27. gxh5
White is now three pawns up.
27. ...... Qg5
28. Nxd4 Rxf1+
29. Rxf1 Rxd4
30. Rf5 Qe7
31. Qg4+ Kh8
32. Rf4 Nc5
33. Nf5 Resigns
A nice finish by White but a truly dreadful game by Black. My fourth defeat in seven.
Swale v Hastings
Keith Nevols (163) 0-1 James Wheeler (160)
Keith Hyde (162) 0-1 Henry Cove (159)
David Page (141) 1/2-1/2 Andrew Cload (135)
Dennis Simpson (120) 1-0 Marc Bryant (131)
Tyrone Jefferies (119) 1/2-1/2 Gary Wilson (119)
Vytautas Gedminas (116) 1-0 Martin Fletcher (110)
Swale 3-3 Hastings
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